Combination pump and shock-absorber.



i F. G. PRIESTLY. COMBINATION PUMP AND SHOGK ABSORBER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 3, 1910.

Patented Aug. 1, 1911.

l 'IUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

FRANK o. PEIESTLY, or Les AnGELEs, oaLIroRnIA.

To all whom itmay concern: 9

Be it known that I, FRANK C. Pnmsrnr, a citizen of the United States, i'esiding at Los Angeles, in the county of Los' .Angeles and State of California, have-invented a new and useful Combination Pump'an'd Shock-Absorber, of which thefollowing is f a specification.

This invention relates to device adapted to be applied toavehicle for utilizing the relative movement between th'e frame and axle topump air which may be utilized in various ways, for example, for starting the engine when the device is n an, automobile, i U H The device is so constructed that iniaddition to its function of com ressing air, it also acts as a shock absor er preventing sharp rebound upon reaction of the vehicle springs. v i g 1 Other objects and advantages relate to detailsof construction and Operation as will i 5 vbebrought out in thevfollowing description.

. Referring to the drawings i Figure lis a side elevation, partly in section,'of a porti-on of a vehicle frame and supporting spring as equipped with the invention; full l inder.

lines'indicate one position of the parts and dotted linesindicate the pther extreme 'position; 2 is an enlarged, longitudinal, sectional view through the compression cyl- Fig. 3 is a section on 1inem --w Fig. 2. Fig. lisan end view of one otthe blocks for connection of the spring in an elastic link, used in the device.

1 designates t e frame of the vehicle. 2 designates the axle to which is attached the elliptic leafspring 3, the'end of spring 3' being pivoted tora rock arm 4, which in turn is p1votedat'5 to the frame 1, thereby supporting the' latter.

6 designates .a pump or air compressor which is secured to the frame 1, its axis being longitudinal of the frames During the operation of the vehicle along the roadway the frame 1 partakes of a .vertical movement relatively to the axle- 2 owing to the uneven roadbed, and I employthis relative movement to actuate' the, air compressor.

This may be accomplished in various ways;

ins the present instance, I employ -a bell-- crank'leverTpivoted at 8 tothebracket 9 a which depends from the frame l,the lever i 7 having a'forked arm-10 which engages a roller 11 on a bracket 12 secured to the axle Specification of Letters Patent.

J COMBINATION PUMP-em) SHOCK-ABSORBER.

2, whereby upon relative movement between axle 2 and frame 1, the arm 10 is rocked by.

[the roller 11 of bracket 12, thereby swing ing an arm 13 which forms the other member of the bell-crank lever 7. A connecting rod 14 is attached to the upper end of the arm 13 and is given a substantially recipro- Patented Aug. 1, 1911. i Application fileddanuary 3,1910. Serial No. 5363243. l i

catory movement when the arm 13 swings and this reciprocatory movement is enr ployed to operate a piston 15 in the cylinder 16 of the air compressor 6. The 1 0d 14 .is not directly connected in the presthg instanceivtith the piston 15, but is connected therewith through the medium of an inter- I mediate elastic link which comprises a coil spring 19, said. coil spring having its ends connected to blocks 20 and 21, block 21be' ing secured to the piston rod 22 and block 20 being secured to the rod l t-aforesaid.

Said blocks are preferably If the form.

shown in Fig. having grooves 23 therein and having their sides flattened for convenience --,in casting said grooves, said grooves -23 being formed spirally, so that the blockscan be screwed into engagement with the ends of the spring. and clamp blocks 36 being provided engaging said springs, and securecl'by bolts 37 to clamp the spring into position on the blocks. The springis preferably inclosed by acylinder 17, the rod 14 sliding through ahead 18'at' one end of the cylinder and J said cylinderhaving slots 38 for receiving the clamp blocks 36, the clamp block .36 which is attached to block 21 being stationary with re spect to the cylinder and the clamp block 36 which is attached to block 20 sliding in the corresponding S10E38," The cylinder 17 incloses the spring and preventsbuckling of. the spring under compressive action thereon due to the 'operation of the rod 14.

In Fig. 1, the side portion of the frame 1 has been broken away to show the-cylinder 17 and it should be understood that the rock arm t-is shown in elevation and is on a plane in front ofthe-cylinder 17, the arm 4 havingno connection with the cylinder 17 but being pivoted at 5, as before stated, to theframe 1. t i 1 V The cylinder 16, as shown in Fig. 2, is provided near each end, with inlet ports 24 and 24 and the port 24 communicates loo through. a chamber-25 with the atmosphere when a suction valve26 is opened, the latter normally restingagainst -a seat 27,, being held thereagainst by a coil spring 28 which acts through a valve stem 29 to hold the" valve closed. The port 24: is opened and closed by the piston 15, the ports 24: and 24 being at some distance from the ends of the cylinders so that the piston overruns them in its stroke. At both ends of the cylinder are ports 30, each of which is adapted to communicate with a valve chamber 31, being normally closed, however, by a ball valve 32 which is held seated by a coil spring 33. A pipe 34 is in communication with each valve chamber 31 and has and passing into the valve chamber 31 and thence into the pipe 3 1 and, from the latter passing to the tank 40. vW'hile the piston is moving to'the right and compressing the air,-it is drawing air in at the left through port 24. v

As the piston moves to the left, it forces air out through the-open port 24 until the piston 15 closes the port 24 and then further movement of the piston'lfito the left compresses the air within the left end of the cylinder and forces it through the port 30. past the ball valve 32 and into the pipe 3i and thence to flexible pipe 35 and from the latter through pipe 39 to tank 40. The normal position of the piston 15 is at mid stroke as shown in Fig. 1. When the wheel supporting the axle '2 drops into a depression in the roadhed, the axle 2drops quickly and before the frame 1 drops, owing to the action of the spring 3, which causes the frame 1 to lower softly and during this quick downward movement of the axle, the linkage pulls the piston 15 from its mid posit ion to the left andit should be here noted that this movement of the piston throughout the greater part is unrestricted, the air being expelled through the open port 24, so that the action of the spring 3 is'not de'adcnod as it otherwise would be if the air were retained and ,compressed by the piston to thefullcst' Textent. during this move mcnt. Thus during this'm ivcment compression does not occur until the piston 15 has closed the port 24, so that only the relatively small amount of air remaining is compressed and as this compression takes place at the peak of resistance or point at which the spring 3 i5 undcr its greatest strain, the frame 1 by this time having dropped to nearly its lowest poin-L thc air the spring at the critical pdint without hav ing previously dulled the lively action .of the spring. Thus the piston 15 and associated parts act as a shock absorber during ently from the manner of exercising its tion when acting in one'direction differ function when moving in the other direction. Thus as the vehicle moves along and the uneven roadbed: causes relative movement between the axle and frame, the bell-" crank lever actuates the rod 14 and operates through the spring 19 to reciprocate rod 22 and piston 15, thereby compressing the air and forcingit into the tank in the manner described. be employed for starting the engine, blowing 7 up pneumatic tires, operating air brakes, or for any other purpose desired.

The spring 19 acts to take any 'jerk off the piston 15 in either direction and insures a smoothness of operation, in addition to which it also acts as a shock absorbed to counteract sudden reaction pf spring 3, in addition to the effect produced .by the air in the cylinder. The spring 19 also acts to limit the compression of the air. When the strength to operate the piston'15'and will yleld durmg the movement ofthe rod 14. Thus the spring 19 acts as a safety device The air thus compressed may air has been compressed to a certain pressure the spring 19 will not have suflicient to prevent an excessive air pressure. The 1 spring 19. also all we the slight necessary swlngmg action 0 to the rod 22. What I 'claim is:

1. The combination with a vehicle axle and frame, a pum cylinder, a reservoir, outlet connections om the respective ends of the pump cylinder to the reservoir, an outwardly opening check valve in each of the rod 14 with respect iis said outlet connections, an inlet connection from the outer air to the pump cylinder at points between the outlet connections and ,the center of the cylinder, an inwardly opening check'valve in one. of said inlet connections, a piston mounted to 'move in the cylinder, a piston rod connected thereto, a lever pivotally mounted-on the vehicle frame and having an operating connection with the axle, a bar connected to said lever, and a connection from said bar to said piston rod, the inlet connection for the cylinderat'the end toward which the piston moves in the descent of: the axle relatively thus compressed comes-to the assistance of l to the frame being in continuous communication with the outer air to allow oot-flow of airnntil the piston passes overand closes said inlet connection.

2. The combination with. a [vehicle 1 axle and frame, it pum outlet connections cylinder, a reservoir, om the respectwe ends of the 'ur'np cylinder to the reservoir, on

outwar ly the center of the cylinder, an inwardly- -opening checkwaliwe in each of said outlet connections, an inlet connection from the'outer air to the pump cylinder at points between the outletconnections' and the cylinder, a

alve in ,connect1ons,a 'p iston'mounted to move in iston rod connected thereto,

one of said inlet a lever pivota 1y mounted on the vehicle frame and having an' operating'connection with the axle,

a; bar connected tosaid lever,

fraihe being in continuous communication with the outer until the piston inlet connection. In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Los Angeles, California, this 30 17th day of December, 1909.

FRANK c. PRIESTLY.

presence of- G. T. HACKLEY,

I FRANK A. GRAHAM. 

